In 2010, I released Dmitry’s Closet, the first book of the Medlov Crime Family Series.

This book was a dark romance/ action-adventure set around an African-American virgin who had recently graduated from college, Royal Stone, and the Czar of the Russian Mafia underworld, Dmitry Medlov. He was a seven-foot blonde billionaire mobster from the ghettos of Kopotnya, a district in Moscow, Russia who had been accidently released from prison and after a planned assassination fled to London England and eventually to Memphis, TN.
Along the way of his awesome journey through young adulthood, I introduce his sociopathic brother, Ivan Medlov, his devoted friend and second in charge, Davyd, and a host of clever men and women from Angola, Africa to the halls of Oxford, who truly articulate the migration of organized crime from the Eastern bloc to Western Europe and finally to the US during the fall of the USSR and the rise of the Vory v Zakone and other factions like it, internationally.
Dmitry is very unique. He is multi-dimensional character who realizes his shortcomings, but truly maximizes on his potential and his strength – hence the anti-hero that everyone loves. He’s the ultimate alpha male and all it takes is one chapter for you to see that about him. His ambition and his compassion are what propelled him from being a poor, struggling soldier in the mafia to a billionaire Czar with international reach and fame.

But his love for his younger lover, Royal Stone, and the growth of their union by marriage and children, including an awesome set of twins, is what makes him the type of man that women like to read about.

When I first wrote this book, there was nothing like it out there, and I was told by quite a few major book reviewers and literary agents that the idea was too far fetched and far too unorthodoxies. Just check out some of my reviews on Amazon back in 2010. WOW!

Eight years later, I have written over 20 books around the Medlov Crime Family and hundreds of authors have written hundreds of books since I introduced the concept. This includes other African-American women authors who expanded the bwwm Russian mafia craze and the main stream white heroine/white hero stories that are out there produced by white female authors who took the concept across the aisle.
Now, Russian Mafia Romance is wildly popular.

Back then, it wasn’t widely popular to romanticize this particular lifestyle and to marry it with strong, African American, was even more farfetched. It was nothing that the major publishing houses had considered or dared touch.
However, the fans supported the work. We went from 50 readers to over 50,000 to many more for the Medlov Crime Family, who had dubbed themselves Medlovians. Our collective success has been because of each of these women. The women who bought the book, read the book, reviewed the book, suggested the book, posted the book online, gave us all an opportunity to connect with them and create something special. THANK YOU!! SPASIBA!

Latrivia Welch, Founder of the Russian Mafia Romance Genre and creator of The Medlov Crime Family Series

I’m very proud of the genre, very proud of how it has grown, but it’s important to me for people to know where it began. With an author who couldn’t get traditional backing or attention and decided to become an indie author with a very bold statement.

“A man like Dmitry was never irate. His coldness was only reflected in the manner in which he destroyed.”
Read the book that started the Russian Mafia Romance genre nearly a decade ago. From USA TODAY bestselling interracial author Latrivia S. Nelson (now Latrivia Welch), comes a story about a deadly faction of the Russian mafia and an innocent woman who threatens to dismantle an empire with the promise of forbidden love.

The virginal recent college graduate, Royal Stone, is looking for employment in one of the country’s toughest recessions. While desperately wondering downtown Memphis résumé in-hand, she stumbles upon the seven-foot, blonde billionaire Dmitry Medlov, who offers her a job as the manager of his new boutique, Dmitry’s Closet.
Royal Stone is in for a big surprise.

After the clueless beauty accepts Dmitry’s generous job offer, Royal soon accepts his extravagant gifts, his bed and his upscale lifestyle. What she does not know is that her knight in shining armor is also the head of the Medlov Organized Crime Family, a faction of the elite Russian mafia organization, Vory v Zakone.

Dmitry Medlov faces a fork in the road.

For the first time in his life, the brutal mob boss is introduced to happiness, but not everyone around him wants the lonely Czar to have a happy ending. Under investigation by a joint task force, working to uncover a conspiracy on his council and battling with the old guards to bring their organization into the 21st century, the last thing Dmitry Medlov needs is to lose focus.

However, falling in love with Royal makes Dmitry want to break his coveted code, leave his self-made kingdom and start a life far away from the perils of the Thieves-in-Law. She is his purpose in life made flesh. But when his sociopathic brother, Ivan, comes to the Memphis bent on a murderous revenge, old sins resurface, and Royal becomes the unsuspecting target of Ivan’s wrath. What neither of the men know, is that Royal is carrying a secret of her own.

Who will win? Who will lose? Who will die? Watch all the skeletons as they tumble out of the interracial romantic suspense sensation, Dmitry’s Closet.

Warning: This book contains graphic language, sex, and various forms of violence. However, it will also melt your heart!

Well, I kept my promise. I made my deadline of September 30th to drop Vasily’s Revenge: The Complete Story. I’m really excited about this one, simply because of its history. When the Scandalous Heroes Box Set Authors approached me about writing a book, I was trying to figure out what character to be developed more. Karen Moss was in love with Vasily and I thought, perfect, I’ll focus in on that. Well, I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy writing his story. I had a chance also to talk more about the relationship between Gabriel Medlov and his live-in girlfriend along with how Dmitry felt his organization should continue to be structured.

We’re going to have a book discussion tonight over at the Latrivia Nelson Love Pub on Facebook. You are welcome to Join and Swing by for a fun conversation. It’s also available on Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook as of today.

Now, I’m off to finish writing The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 7. Then we switch to the Lonely Hearts. Can’t wait and couldn’t have done it without all of you.

Synopsis

Vasily Kavlov has been proud of one title in his life, head enforcer of the Medlov Organized Crime Family. As a Russian Mafia hit man, his entire purpose has been to protect his bosses and their families without prejudice. However, even the bravest hit man has loved at least once. To Vasily’s detriment, it was his former boss, Leo Rasputin’s wife, Lilly. After sticking his neck out once in the name of love to protect her, he was nearly killed and then discarded by the very man who had sworn allegiance. Given a second and better chance with Dmitry Medlov and his men, Vasily focused on climbing the ranks and becoming lauded by his brethren. Now the head of security for the Czar of the Underworld, a feared and revered faction of the Vory v Zakone, he put all ideas of love aside and follows the code of the Thieves-in-Law. That is until Leo breaks out of Attica and tries to hunt down Lilly in an attempt to take her life. Secret pacts between men and women come unbound as the race against time for $20 million in diamonds, unveils the truth for Vasily. He might not only carry the title of enforcer but also the title of father of Lilly’s eight year old son. Hiding them under the guard of the Medlov family, he must find the diamonds, find the men responsible for the set up and finally find out the truth. Read the first book in the new series about the most famous fiction Russian Mafia family in books, The Medlov Men, by national bestselling author Latrivia S. Nelson.

You know, I really should update this thing more. I’ve found that it’s a way to purge. The only problem is that there’s only 24 hours in a day and I need 48 to complete all of my work. LOL. Things could be worse. I could be doing nothing at all. And with my very “special” mind, that would drive me crazy.

We’ve had an amazing kickoff. Readers have been so supportive and positive. The reviews have been awesome and let’s face it; this project was historic. It won’t happen again. It won’t last forever, for everyone is living in the moment – enjoying being a part of the experience.

On July 7th, after a serious lack of sleep, we woke up to the USA Today article that I’m sure made all of us smile and proud.

Scandalous Heroes boxed set (Excerpt from USA Today.com) Michelle Monkou, Special for USA TODAY
Nine authors — Sienna Mynx, Latrivia Nelson, Pepper Pace, Bridget Midway, Serenity King, Aliyah Burke, Tiana Laveen, Yvette Hines, Erosa Knowles — offer up a great array of stories with the common theme of “scandalous heroes.” From the sensual to the erotic, these men represent all backgrounds with passion for life, passion for their women and hearts big enough to fall in love.
These nine great stories have something for every taste — alphas, shifters, Doms, billionaires, blue-collar hunks and urban heroes. Stories include Raw Exposure by Aliyah Burke, Vasily’s Revenge by Latrivia Nelson, Double Trouble: Men of 3X CONStruction by Erosa Knowles, Tattooed Moon by Tiana Laveen, Last Call by Bridget Midway, The Wrath of Michael by Serenity King.
In addition, I have to give a few shout-outs for these captivating stories: Rallenti by Sienna Mynx with its Sicilian enforcer, Renaldo Cracchiolo, and his sexy and beautiful shoemaker, Kyra Okeeno. Great introduction to the Battaglia Mafia series with fast-paced, vibrant and sexy romance, coupled with a great cast of characters that add the right amount of drama, humor, and suspense.
Everything Is Everything by Pepper Pace surprised me because it wasn’t the run-of-the-mill romance. Pace’s creatively unique style had the power to pull me into the lives of these teens. Set in the ’70s, neighborhoods, lives, and individual consequences collide. These young adults have grown-folk-size issues to deal with on a daily basis, and yet, their hearts still seek love and hope. A truly compelling tale with a cliffhanger ending, but the emotional investment is solidly there at the end of the story.
Sieged by Rym by Yvette Hines is a wickedly sexy brew of paranormal, science-fiction and erotica. The battle of the sexes feels like a tennis match between the elite — thanks to Hines’ artistry with suspense and sexual tension.
So you can imagine that I was big smiles and hugs after this article. Please go to it and share it on your Facebook and Twitter pages. If you have other social media platforms, share them there as well.

We really want to get the word out. If you’ve never purchased a book online, take the leap of faith with us and purchase ours. After all, it’s only 99 cents.

It’s a sad state of affairs for me ladies and gentlemen. The book is complete, but the hard copy format will not be ready until July 15th. Please world, do not be angry with me. I’m working around the clock to provide some benefits in lieu of this horrid blunder. Last time, the drop date was off by a month and half. So, I’m happy to report that it’s just ten days later. For many, it’s ten days too long. So, I’m offering this:

Pre-order and you will receive a free PDF copy of the book for you to read until your book arrives. I made the announcement tonight and have received great feedback from the readers. Thanks so much for you all who have understood. And I’m so blessed to have so many supporters.

The good news is that the book will still be available on Kindle on the 5th! You can also purchase the PDF format without the hard copy for $5 on www.dmitrysroyalflush.com. So, if you don’t have a Kindle, like to read at work or home or prefer to laptop or desktop to pick up books, you won’t miss a beat. For my hardcopy readers, the printer says that it could very well be back next week, but they’ve given me that date to be safe. So, I’ll keep you updated.

For all of those who receive the PDF, please send me your thoughts through the blog, facebook and email to let me know what you think (Latrivia@LatriviaNelson.com).

Let me be the first to say how proud I am of Kandace Tuggle, our exclusive designer at RiverHouse Publishing, LLC for her fabulous work on the new cover for the much anticipated Dmitry’s Royal Flush: Rise of the Queen book from the Medlov Crime Family Series. We had a great conference call with the girls a few days back, where I told them that this would be coming. Now, here it is as promised.

For me, when I see the cover, I know that the entire book is almost complete. I always save the cover until the end to make sure that it really encompasses what the story is all about – mostly because I tend to deviate.

So, ladies, here it is. We also have the site (www.dmitrysroyalflush.com) , Twitter (HisRoyalFlush) and very soon Facebook. I hope that you all are having a great day. And don’t forget the drop date of July 5th. More information will be coming out in the next few days.

Talk to you soon.

Xoxo and all that jazz,

Latrivia S. Nelson

Synopsis:

For Dmitry and Royal Medlov, money doesn’t equal happiness. Forced to leave Memphis, TN and flee to Prague after a brutal mafia war, the couple nestled into the countryside to raise their daughter, Anya, and lead a safe, quiet life. But when Dmitry’s son, Anatoly, shows up with an offer he can’t refuse, Dmitry is forced to go back to the life he left as boss of the most feared criminal organization in world. Consequently, the deal could not only destroy the Medlov Crime Family but also Dmitry and Royal.

Royal hasn’t been the same since she was attacked three years ago. Where she used to be a sweet, innocent girl, she’s now a jaded, bitter woman, who can’t be coddled by riches and luxury. However, a reality check is in store for the pre-Madonna when Anya’s new teacher shows up with her sights set on stealing Dmitry, and Ivan’s old ally shows up with sights on killing him. Can Royal save them all? Will she?

With a family in such turmoil, the only way to survive is to stick together. Read the gripping tale of a marriage strong enough to stand the test of time as Dmitry realizes that he has the best cards in the house as long as has a Royal Flush.